Science Says Geoengineering Could Create New Climate Catastrophes

Eric Mack
, ContributorI cover science and innovation and products and policies they create.Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Solar geoengineering mimics the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions.

Humans have arguably been unintentionally "geoengineering" the planet for at least the past several decades or longer by pumping tons of methane, carbon dioxide and other climate-altering molecules into the atmosphere. But new research finds that trying to undo the effects of all those years of emissions with intentional geoengineering still risks doing more harm than good.

Geoengineering concepts typically involve large scale technological interventions to blunt or reverse the impacts of all those emissions, which now look to be on the rise again. Ideas range from relatively simple and proven techniques like cloud seeding or capturing CO2 direct from the air and pumping it underground to more exotic solutions like giant mirrors in space to reflect the sun's rays or simulating the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions by injecting particles called aerosols into the atmosphere.

That last option, a form of what's called "solar geoengineering," could have a particularly devastating effect on some regions of the globe, according to new research out Tuesday in Nature Communications.

"Our results confirm that regional solar geoengineering is a highly risky strategy which could simultaneously benefit one region to the detriment of another," said climate scientist and co-author Dr. Anthony Jones from the University of Exeter.

The researchers found that simulating northern hemisphere volcanic eruptions (aerosols created by eruptions can linger in the atmosphere, making it more reflective and leading to a cooling effect) could reduce tropical cyclone activity that has contributed to recent historically destructive storms like Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey and Irma. But this potential benefit could come at a cost: increasing the likelihood of drought in the Sahel area just south of Africa's Sahara desert.

The researchers conclude that geoengineering is still not quite ready for prime-time. As the risky proposition draws more interest from increasingly threatened populations, they say the time has come to consider regulating such actions before we see the launch of unilateral geoengineering programs that could induce new climate catastrophes.

To jack in to my brain and get more on the latest in science, tech and innovation, follow me here on Forbes, as well as on Twitter @ericcmack and on Google+.